Limegrove on Schedule to Open in December - The Advocate - April 26, 2010

WHEN this year’s winter tourist season commences, there will be a new attraction for them to visit, offering high-end shopping and vast exposure to local culture and the arts.

This is because the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre in Holetown, St. James, it expected to open its doors by Christmas.

According to developer Paul Altman, 80 per cent of the centre will be complete by then, with the remaining 20 percent to be finished shortly after.

Altman was speaking to the media last Friday after giving Prime Minister the Honourable David Thompson a tour of both the commercial and residential aspects of the project.

Just before Christmas last year, the veteran developer told the media during a tour of the project at that time that approximately 70 percent of the commercial space within the Lifestyle Centre had already been tenanted.

During last week’s tour, he was pleased to reveal that of the 80 percent to be completed by Christmas, more than 80 percent of that space has been tenanted.

Last month one of these tenants moved into their new space, this being the Barbados National Bank (BNB) who had been occupying a temporary office on the 10-acre site for some time.

The centre will also house international brands such as Cartier, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren, and Altman indicated that they are currently waiting on confirmation from Tiffany and Armani, as to whether these brands will sign up.

As stated earlier, last week’s tour took place approximately four months after the developers took the media through the site in December of last year. Since that time a significant amount of progress has been made, as a considerable amount of decorative plastering, tiling, and installation of glass panes has occurred in those buildings that have been fully erected.

Limegrove also carries with it, as mentioned earlier, a residential component, the first portion of which was also toured.

Altman stated that eight townhouses are currently in the latter stages of their construction, and are expected to be completed by the end of May.

The units, which cover 3,400 square feet, possess 14-foot ceilings, and modern interior design while still carrying the Barbadian architectural character on the exterior, will cost US$1.35 million.

These are only the first of the 57 units, a mixture of townhouses and condominiums, that will accompany the Lifestyle Centre on the 10-acre site.

Altman argued that the pace at which these are constructed and sold will be based on the success of the commercial centre.

"We believe that the sort of vitality that will come out of the commercial centre will force this follow on, so we’re looking forward for that to happen," he said.